Married Life
by Vlady84
Summary: Holly asked. Gail said yes. Now the true adventures begin. This is story #3 in this Golly saga.
1. Chapter 1

Married life was good.

Holly never dreamed that marrying Gail Peck would ever be this good. She woke up most mornings with a beautiful blonde nuzzled into the crook of her arm. She went to bed each night listening to the soft breathing of her wife. Married life was better than good. It was amazing.

After returning from their honeymoon out on the west coast. Gail had continued studying for her detective papers and achieved detective status within record time. As the days went on, Gail's confidence just seemed to continue to grow with her new detective status and Holly found that damn sexy.

So much so, that Holly was having the hardest time keeping her hands to herself when she was around Gail. One such occasion was when they were at an evening social for the pathologist society. Holly had to practically drag Gail out of the house as she complained about big words and the use of unnecessary science jargon. Holly could only chuckle. But once they were there, Gail's new confidence took over and soon she was busy schmoozing it up with various people, talking about this and that, and looking as beautiful as ever. Holly could barely focus on her own conversations as she watched Gail laugh and smile and make polite talk with others in the room.

Eventually she couldn't take it anymore. "If you'll excuse me" she said politely to those in her group before winding her way through the crowd. She placed her hand on the small of Gail's back, causing her to jump slightly. Holly couldn't help but smile when the ice blue eyes turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I steal my wife away for a moment?" Holly asked politely as she looked at the older gentlemen that Gail was talking to. Holly couldn't help but think about how much she loved saying that. My wife. The two most beautiful words in the world.

"No of course not" one of the gentlemen said. "It has been an absolute delight speaking with you" he said, turning to look at Gail. "You have quite a treasure here" he continued, looking at Holly now.

"Oh, I know" Holly smiled as she slid her arm around Gail's waist, pulling her closer. "I'm the luckiest woman in the world" she added, causing Gail to blush. "Now if you will excuse us" she smiled.

"It was a pleasure meeting you" Gail said with a smile as she let Holly lead her out of the room and down a quiet hallway. Holly led her towards the coatroom which was off to the side. She looked both ways before quickly pulling her in and towards the back.

"Gee, Dr. Stewart, what is with you and coat rooms?" Gail laughed as she let Holly pull her further in. "I'm really starting to question…"

Gail's comment was cut off by Holly pressing her lips firmly against her wife's. She wrapped her arms tightly around Gail's waist and pulled her in, deepening the kiss.

After the initial shock wore off, Gail happily wrapped her arms around Holly's neck, moaning into the kiss as she felt her wife's body presses harder against her own. Gail just absolutely adored how soft Holly's lips were, how her tongue tenderly asked for entrance, how her hands would roam over her body. She could spend hours just kissing Holly. And that's when it hit her, they were still in a cloakroom at some fancy science social. She smiled as she pulled out of Holly's embrace. "What has gotten over you" Gail chuckled as she looked lovingly at Holly.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help it. You just look so sexy out there, in this dress, talking to those people. God" Holly said with a low whistle before pulling Gail close to pepper her neck with kisses.

Gail couldn't help but moan as she felt Holly's lips on her sensitive skin. "Baby, if you don't stop now, I won't be able to stop."

"Mmm…that's fine…mmm" Holly mumbled against Gail's skin.

"It's not fine" Gail chuckled pushing Holly back. "That room is full of your colleagues. I'm not willing to get caught like two horny teenagers and ruin your reputation."

Holly let out a deep sigh as she took another step back from Gail. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself. You are just so…sexy" Holly said looking Gail up and down.

"Well, aren't you just lucky that you get to take this home tonight" Gail said as she gestured to her body.

"So lucky" Holly said in a low husky voice as she reached out to pull Gail close again.

"Hands off, Dr. Stewart. We still need to make it through at least another hour before we can continue this" Gail said playfully, swatting Holly's hand a way.

"You're right, Detective Stewart" Holly said, hanging your head.

"I'm always right" Gail smiled as she leaned in and gave Holly a quick peck on the cheek before turning and leaving a flustered Holly standing alone in the coatroom. And she just stood there, thinking about how wonderful it felt to call Gail 'Detective Stewart'. She thought back to when Gail told her that she wanted to take her last name…

_"__Are you sure you want to be a Stewart?" Holly managed to stutter out after ungracefully choking on the sip of water she decided to take at that very moment. _

_"__Why wouldn't I be sure?" Gail said nonchalantly as she took another bite of her chicken wrap. "It's not like being a Peck is anything ultra-special and I mean there are already like twenty Detective Pecks out there already."_

_"__That's a bit of an exaggeration" Holly laughed. "But seriously, are you sure you want to take my name?" _

_Gail put down her wrap and reached over to take Holly's hand. "I'm positive, baby. I love your family. I love you. I love everything that the Stewarts represent. I would be honoured to become a Stewart." _

_Holly couldn't help the tears that began to slowly trickle down her cheek. Gail reached up, cupping her cheek and using her thumb to gently rub away the tears. "What's the matter, Holly?" she asked softly. _

_Holly reached up and placed her hand over Gail's, squeezing it gently. "You just make me so happy" she said softly. "But what will your mother think? Won't she be upset if you change your last name?"_

_"__Nah" Gail said, leaning back in her chair again and taking another bite of her wrap. "I already talked to her" she said through a mouthful of food. _

_"__You what?" Holly asked with surprise. _

_Gail took a moment to swallow before continuing. "I already talked to my mom and dad. My mom feels like I might as well change my name since I never really used the Peck name to its full potential anyways." _

_"__She did not say that!"_

_"__No, she didn't" Gail smiled, "but she did say that I don't need the Peck name to be successful and since I love you with every ounce of my being, that my name should reflect that as well for the rest of the world to see."_

_"__Well, that's….that's very sweet of your mom" Holly said as she shook her head in disbelief. _

_"__I know. I wasn't expecting that response either" Gail chuckled, "but is true. I do love you with every single part of me, so why wouldn't I want my name to reflect that as well so that everyone I meet would know it too?"_

_Holly turned and looked at Gail. She was constantly being surprised by this woman. _

_"__What? What did I do?" Gail asked with a shrug. _

_"__Nothing" Holly smiled as she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Gail's lips. "I just love you so much." _

_"__I love you too" Gail smiled. _

Holly couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she now stood alone in the cloakroom. Gail gave the façade of being tough, unapproachable, self-centered, but Holly saw the other side and this was one reason she loved her so much. She laughed to herself as she made her way back to the party, double checking her lipstick in the mirror in the hall.

As she approached the room, she saw that Gail had been quickly swept into another conversation. And once again, Holly's heart ached with pride. Ever since Gail had made detective, and ever since she had changed her last name to Stewart, Gail had changed. She had dropped some her façade. She wasn't as meek around groups of people. She didn't automatically turn to sarcasm in every situation. She was even more laid back.

Holly was brought out of her thoughts from a familiar voice.

"Earth to Holly" Lisa said, nudging Holly with her elbow.

Holly quickly turned to look at her. "Lisa? Why are you here?" she asked as she reached out to hug her friend.

"I am here for a meeting in one of the other rooms. I saw you leave the cloakroom looking a bit flustered, so I followed you here. Your wife looks pretty hot tonight."

Holly couldn't help but blush. "She looks amazing" she said almost under her breath.

"So are you guys coming over next Saturday? I told Frankie to invite you" Lisa said, looking back at Holly.

"Oh, yeah of course. We're looking forward to it" Holly answered honestly. Ever since they returned from their honeymoon, they hadn't really had a chance to sit down with their friends. Gail as so busy with her detective papers, and Holly was catching up on some of the paper work she had built up while they were away.

"Okay, well I should get back to my group. Tell Gail I said hi. I will talk to you later" Lisa said, leaning in to give Holly a quick peck on the cheek before continuing her way down the hall, leaving Holly to just stand there again.

She looked back into the room and saw Gail smiling back at her. God, she was so in love with that woman.

It was no surprise to Gail that by time she had locked their front door, that Holly had her pressed hard against hallway wall, hands roaming freely over her body.

"Mmm…baby….let me take of my coat" Gail moaned as she felt Holly's lips on her neck starting again where they left off in the coatroom.

Gail couldn't help but chuckle as she felt Holly's rushed, almost frantic, movements to discard both their coats and leave them in a pile on the foyer floor. "What has gotten into you tonight" Gail asked as she tilted her head back, giving Holly more access to her tender skin.

"You…are…just…so…damn…hot" Holly managed to mutter between kisses. And it was true. Gail was so hot tonight, and not just because of what she wore, but also because of how she handled herself. It was such a turn on for Holly.

"Baby, shouldn't we take this upstairs" Gail moaned as she felt Holly's fingers hitch up her dress, and dig into the soft skin of her thigh.

"Too far" Holly mumbled, her lips barely leaving Gail's sweet flesh. She then proceeded to walk Gail backwards towards the living room couch, leaving a trail of clothing along the way. That night, Holly used her mouth and her fingers to worship every inch of her wife's body.

The next morning greeted both the women sooner than either one had hoped for. Thankfully it was Sunday, and the only thing they had planned for the day was a visit with Holly's sister, Susan, and her niece, Ally.

"Aunt Gail said she would help me" Gail overheard Ally say as she stepped into the kitchen holding a bag a groceries.

"I said I would help you with what?" Gail asked skeptically as she placed the bags on the counter.

"You said that you would teach me to drive" Ally said with big puppy dog eyes. The same eyes both Susan and Holly had. The same eyes that Gail could never say no to.

"Did you really? That's so sweet" Holly said as she began emptying a different bag. She leaned over and placed a kiss on her wife's cheek.

"I don't know if I used those words exactly" Gail said.

"Can't you just sign up for a course?" Susan asked, as she placed some of the food into the fridge.

"What? Don't you trust me teaching your daughter? I would like you to know I was top of my class in the academy when it came to tactical driving. No one could to a 180 like me" Gail beamed.

"That's kind of what I am afraid of" Susan laughed. "I just want her to learn how to drive, not how to do stunts."

"I would never" Gail said in a shocked voice, but with still a twinkle in her eye.

"See Mom, Aunt Gail would never teach me anything crazy" Ally said, as she wrapped her arm around Gail's neck. For only being seventeen, Ally had the Stewart height and was almost a foot taller than her now.

"Okay, fine. She can take you on driving lessons, but you have to use Aunt Holly's car" Susan said pointing between Gail and Ally.

"Yes" both Gail and Ally said simultaneously as they high-fived.

"Let's start now. I'll get the keys" Gail said, as she walked into the hallway to retrieve Holly's keys from her purse.

"Hang on, why am I getting roped into this? Why does it have to be my car?" Holly asked, looking a wee bit worried as she watched Gail and Ally run out the door.

Susan could only laugh at her little sister. "Don't worry, Holly. I'm sure everything will be fine. They will probably go around the block a few times" Susan smiled as she continued to put away the food and get things out for dinner.

"Right, now you are all calm about it since it is my car on the line here" Holly sighed as she leaned back against the kitchen counter, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, and it is still my daughter behind the wheel, and I know that Gail is a great driver, but I swear sometimes she is worse than a teenager" Susan laughed.

Holly could only chuckle. Susan was right. Gail could be like any carefree, fearless teenager at times, and it only got worse when she and Ally got together. When they were together, Holly was able to see yet another side of Gail and for the most part, she loved it. Except now, knowing that they were out there driving around in her car, Holly couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

It was thirty minutes later when Susan and Holly heard the front door open and one set of footsteps enter the kitchen.

The two ladies looked up to see a sheepish looking Ally standing at the door.

"Please don't tell me you wrecked my baby" Holly pleaded.

"Well, your car is fine, but I think you should go check on Aunt Gail" Ally said with an apologetic shrug.

"Oh, Ally, what have you done?" Susan asked as she watched Holly disappear out the front door.

"Let's just say that Aunt Gail might not be wanting dinner after all" Ally said as she flopped down at the kitchen table.

Meanwhile, Holly had made her way outside to find Gail bent over the front hedge, heaving. She stifled a laugh before making her way over to her wife.

"Oh, baby. It's okay" she soothed as she rubbed her back gently. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say the driving lesson went well?"

"When it's time for our kids to learn to drive, you are doing it" Gail said before heaving again.

Holly couldn't help but smile. "When we have kids?"

"Yeah, you are totally teaching them to drive" Gail said standing up and taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Why are you smiling so much?" Gail asked when she finally was able to focus on Holly.

"We're having kids?" Holly said softly.

Gail couldn't help but smile back at her wife. "Of course we are. I can't wait to have little Stewarts running around."

"Really?" Holly asked, tears filling her eyes.

"Yes, really. Oh my gosh, why are you getting all sappy on me?" Gail teased.

"I just…I…I…" Holly stumbled as tears threatened to spill over. She wasn't really sure why she was getting so sappy. It's just this was not something they really talked about before. When she was younger, she had always wanted kids, but when she started dating Gail, after returning from San Francisco, it wasn't anything that really came up. She was just happy to be with Gail.

"Why are you so shocked? I can be maternal" Gail feigned feeling hurt.

"No, no, I know, Baby. I guess I just never really thought about it. I mean, we've never really talked about it" Holly tried to explain, not really picking up on Gail's teasing tone. "I… I mean, I…"

"Relax, Holly" Gail laughed.

Holly just turned and looked at her wife. Gail stood there, still slightly green, but smiling back. "I love you" Holly said, as she leaned in to kiss Gail.

"Whoa there" Gail said, putting her hands up and holding Holly back. "I just basically fertilized Susan's garden with my lunch. I'm not really in any condition to kiss you right now."

Holly just laughed as she pulled her wife into a hug instead.

_AN- Do we continue on this journey? Let me know what you think. _


	2. Chapter 2

_AN- Thank you for all the great comments. It helps spur me forward._

_I'm at a bit of a loss for this chapter. Read it and let me know what you think. _

It had been a very long day by time Gail made it home. A new case had come in that morning that just kept unfolding and revealing new aspects that, by the end of the day, it had the whole precinct trying to track down clues and arrest the people responsible. Holly was sitting in bed, reading from one of her latest science journals, when Gail entered the bedroom looking tired and worn out.

"Hey, babe" Holly said, taking her glasses off and laying the book down on her lap. She noticed how Gail's shoulders hung and her heart cried out for her.

"Hi" Gail replied drearily as she began to shed her clothing.

"No breakthrough?" Holly asked softly as she continued to read Gail's body language.

"Nothing" came Gail's one word answer.

"Did you get dinner?" Holly asked.

"Yeah" Gail said as she slipped on her pajamas and turned to head to the bathroom to wash up. As she neared the door, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Holly watched as her wife slowly turned to look back at her. Gail then took two steps over and leaned down slightly placing a soft kiss on Holly's lips.

Holly couldn't help but melt into the kiss.

Gail pulled back slightly. "Hi" she said, their lips still practically touching.

"Hi" Holly smiled as she reconnected their lips one more time in a gentle kiss before Gail stood back up, smiling at her wife before disappearing into the bathroom.

Holly sat there as she watched the bathroom door close. Her lips still tingling from feeling Gail's against hers. She knew Gail was awesome at her job and soon enough they will be able to close the case. But it was still so disheartening to see Gail like this. Gail honestly put her whole being into figuring out the truth. Holly wished there was something more she could do to support her wife during this time.

"Are you still wanting to go to Lisa's tomorrow? I could cancel" Holly said as she watched a weary looking Gail exit the bathroom.

"No, it's fine. I'm fine. We can go. It will be good to see everyone" Gail said as she slid into bed. She knew how much Holly liked socializing with her friends. Gail didn't want that to stop, not when it made her wife so happy.

Holly smiled as she looked down at Gail. Her body was turned away from her, but she could tell that her eyes were already shut. She quietly reached down and gently ran her fingers through Gail's hair. "I'm glad you are home" she said softly.

"I'm glad I'm home too" Gail said turning over to look up at Holly. She continued her movement and let her arm slide over Holly's body. Holly reached over and switched off the bedside light before sliding further into bed. Gail automatically lifted her head slightly so that Holly could wrap her arm under and around her.

The two of them laid there for a few moments. This has become so natural for both of them.

Holly was about to say more when soft snoring interrupted her thoughts. Instead she placed a kiss on Gail's head before falling asleep herself.

When she woke up the next day, she was alone. She reached for her glasses and noticed a note sitting beside them. Slipping on her glasses, she carefully unfolded the note.

_Hey baby,_

_There was a break in the case and I needed to head in. I wanted to let you sleep. Call me when you are up. _

_Love,_

_Gail_

Holly sighed as she swung her legs out of bed. She had hoped to have a lazy Saturday morning with Gail before they went out tonight. She knew how hard Gail had been working lately. She could tell that it was all starting to take a toll on her wife's wellbeing. She just really hoped Gail wouldn't stay too long at the station today.

Meanwhile, at the precinct, Gail, Traci, Frankie and Chloe were going over some new details that had come up during the night. They had papers and pictures spread throughout the entire room and were desperately trying to figure out how all the dots were connected.

"It just doesn't make sense" Traci said, one hand on her hip, the other rubbing the back of her neck. "How does an honours student go from getting straight A's to shooting up a bank downtown?"

"He simply said he needed the money" Chloe reads off of the fax that they received from latest interrogation.

"But it just doesn't make sense" Gail added in.

"But we have him on camera in the bank" Frankie explained. "And he just confessed."

"We have someone on camera robbing that bank wearing a face mask. I'm just not sure it is the guy we have locked up. Something isn't adding up" Gail said. "He's a straight A student. He comes from a fairly wealthy family and I'm pretty sure he still gets a pretty good weekly allowance from his parents. Why does he need to rob a bank?"

"But again, he confessed!" Frankie said again, frustration clearly coming through in her voice. She wasn't particularly happy today. She was having a rather wonderful time in bed with Lisa before getting called back into the precinct to go over this case once more. According to Frankie, this was a simple open and shut case.

"I know, I know" Gail said as she ran her fingers through her hair. "But something doesn't feel right."

"Okay, fine, let's look at the facts again" Traci said, walking around the table. "We have surveillance footage from the bank and from the building across the street. That masked man could be him. There is no sure way to prove it or deny it. He comes from money, but he could also be some spoiled rich brat whose daddy suddenly refused to fund his drug habit. And finally, he did confess" Traci sighed as she looked over at Gail. "He could have just fallen into the wrong crowd, made some wrong choices and now he's here."

"But...but… I'm not convinced he did it" Gail said as she shook her head. "We've been working on this case for two days now. He hasn't really said anything since we picked him up last night besides from saying he needed money. I just don't feel right closing this case yet."

Frankie flopped down in the chair. "You're just going soft on this kid now that you are basking in the glow of married life" Frankie teased. "We don't have to prove anything. We just need to present all the facts and let the lawyers do the rest."

"What if I go over and talk to him again?" Chloe suggested with a shrug. She always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt and she was happy to see that Gail was starting to too. Holly was a really good influence on her.

"I'll go with you" Gail said, as she grabbed her coat and began walking to the door, not waiting for anyone to respond.

Chloe just looked between Traci and Frankie, surprised that Gail was actually agreeing with something she said.

"You better follow her. You know she won't wait once she gets to the car" Traci laughed.

"Right" Chloe said, jumping around and running after Gail.

Back at home, Holly was having a lazy, quiet Saturday morning when her doorbell rang. She was happily surprised to see Lisa standing there holding two coffee cups and a brown bag, which she silently prayed contained bagels.

"I figured that since I'm alone, there's a big chance you're alone too, so I brought breakfast" Lisa smiled holding up the items in her hands.

"You are amazing. Come in" Holly said, stepping back as she swung the door open.

"Hey, what else are best friends for if it isn't for wallowing together when our significant others are off fighting crime?" Lisa smiled as she walked into the house and towards the kitchen.

"So I take it, things are going well between you and Frankie?" Holly asked, taking a cup out of the cardboard tray and sitting down beside Lisa at the table.

Lisa merely smiled at her as she passed Holly a bagel.

"Oohh, I stand corrected by your silence. I see things are going better than okay" Holly teased.

"Holly, I just can't explain it. I've never felt this way before with anyone. She's…she's amazing. She makes me feel…um…"

"Loved?" Holly interjected.

"Yeah" Lisa blushed.

"I'm happy for you" Holly said, leaning over and squeezing Lisa's arm. "You deserve this."

Lisa could only blush further. Never in a million years did she think things would become this serious with Frankie. At first, it was just convenient for both of them, but now they are officially in a relationship. They have even moved in together and Lisa couldn't be happier.

"Enough about me. How has married life been treating you?" Lisa asked, smiling at her friend.

Holly looked up at the ceiling and then back down at Lisa. "I don't think there are any words that can properly explain how amazing it is. Gail was a wonderful friend, and amazing girlfriend and now an incredible wife" Holly swooned.

"So I don't need to beat her up for working to much?" Lisa joked.

"No" laughed Holly. "You don't. Take a day like today for example. She's been called back to the office even though we had plans today."

"I'm not really sure how this is scoring her any wife points" Lisa wondered aloud.

"Let me finish" Holly smiled. "She was called in today, and she left me the sweetest note so that I could sleep in. She has already texted me like seven times and she will probably bring me flowers when she comes home."

"Isn't that more patronizing though? Aren't you annoyed to be treated like the little stay at home wife?" Lisa asked.

"I think if you asked me maybe three years ago, I would have said that I would never want to be the stay at home wife. But now that Gail is my wife, I have no problem staying here while she does her thing. I kind of like having the house ready for her when she finally gets off."

"Oh my gosh, Holly. You are like straight from the 50s. How can you say that? What happened to the bra burning, radical college girl that I grew up loving?" Lisa scoffed.

"She fell in love" Holly said honestly before taking another sip of her coffee.

Meanwhile, Chloe and Gail were able to gleam some more information for the suspect and were now meeting with a much larger team, including Oliver and Gail's mother, Elaine.

"I think we can do it" Chloe said. "I mean, if this is really why that guy robbed the bank, how can we not?"

"I'm not sure this is the best plan" Gail said skeptically. She was all about helping that kid, but she wasn't sold on this being the best plan.

"I'm kind of siding with Chloe on this one" Oliver said with a shrug. "We really need to get to the bottom of all of this and you two are probably the best two that we can send in there."

Gail merely rolled her eyes. "There has to be something else. Someone else."

"I think Oliver is right, honey" added Gail's mother. "If this is as big as you say, we need someone we can trust to go undercover as soon as possible so that we can shut the whole thing down."

Gail looked at her mother and then at Oliver. She didn't dare look at Chloe. Ever since Gail married Holly, she has the hardest time refusing Chloe's puppy dog eyes. "Fine" Gail said, throwing her arms up in defeat. "I need to talk to Holly first though."

"I already called her a while ago. She's probably almost here" Frankie said, stepping into the room.

"You did what?! What did you tell her? Please tell me you told her that nothing was wrong" Gail said, her eyes frantically searching Frankie's for some sort of reassurance.

"I was classy. I told her that we needed her down here as soon as possible" Frankie said, holding her hands up somewhat defensively. "Chill Gail. Lisa's driving her anyways."

And as if right on cue, Holly came rushing into the precinct and straight to the back conference room. She quickly pushed by Frankie and ran straight into Gail's open arms.

Gail could see the worry on her wife's face as she approached and quickly being enveloped in a hug. She pulled her closer as she felt Holly grab her tighter, her body completely tense. "It's okay, baby. I'm okay" Gail soothed as she felt Holly's body begin to relax.

"Frankie said something was up and I needed to get down here right away" Holly muffled into the nook of Gail's neck.

"Yeah, I'm going to kick her ass later for that" Gail said, glaring at Frankie who merely shrugged her shoulders.

"What? I was trying to be helpful" Frankie explained, which received a slap to the arm from Lisa who had followed Holly into the precinct. "Ow, babe. I'm serious. I had no idea she would hang up so fast. I tried to explain, I swear."

"Don't 'babe' me" Lisa scowled as she crossed her arms and refused to look at Frankie.

"I was just so scared that…" Holly began as she wrapped her arms tighter around Gail.

"I know. I know. But I'm okay. Frankie was unfortunately, just being Frankie. Everything is okay" Gail continued to sooth.

A cough from behind them caused Holly look up. She turned a bright shade of red when she saw other officers standing there, including Oliver and her mother-in-law. She stood back quickly from Gail and straightened her clothes, trying to appear somewhat professional. "I'm sorry. I guess I over reacted. Not very professional, my sincerest apologies" Holly said taking another step away from Gail and hanging her head in shame.

"Don't worry about it, my dear" Elaine smiled, walking up to Holly. She put a reassuring hand on her arm before continuing "We've all been where you two are and when we were all first married, our spouses would have come rushing down to the precinct as well if they got such a call."

Holly looked around the room to see everyone nodding their heads and smiling sympathetically at the doctor.

"Plus, from a mother's perspective…" Elaine whispered as she leaned into Holly, "it's really nice to see how much Gail means to you."

This made Holly feel a little less foolish about rushing in so dramatically. She felt even better when Gail came to stand beside her and laced their fingers together, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"So now that that is all settled, let's talk about this plan. I actually had Frankie call you in. My apologies for thinking she would be a little more tactful" Elaine said, giving Frankie a disapproving look. "But I am glad you are here, Doctor" she said as she walked back to the table to look at all the papers spread across it.

Gail turned to look at Frankie, then back to her mother. "Hang on a second, why did you call Holly in?" Gail as a very surprised look spread across her face.

Elaine continued to look at the papers. Ignoring Gail's comment, she continued "If we get Gail and Chloe inside, they will be able to find out who the contact is."

Gail shook her head with frustration. Gail was kind of used to being ignored by her mother, but it was different when it came to wanting answers regarding her wife. "Is anyone listening to me? Why did you call Holly in?" Gail asked again, trying to keep her cool, but still a little more harshly.

This time, Oliver chose to disregard Gail when he began to speak "And once we know that, hopefully it will lead us to the mastermind of this whole thing and we can stop it sooner than later." He shuffled through the papers on the desk.

Gail let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, someone needs to answer me now or I'm going home and taking my wife with me" Gail blurted out.

This time it was Holly who gave her wife's hand a reassuring squeeze. Immediately, Holly could see Gail relax slightly and the tension leave her hand. "Please, can someone tell us what is going on?" Holly asked the group.

This time Elaine and Oliver looked up from the papers. "Why don't you sit down, Doctor" Elaine said, gesturing to a nearby chair.

Holly nodded before making the few steps towards the chair. She brought Gail along with her, not letting go of her hand and sat down quietly.

Gail remained standing beside her wife as Oliver explained to Holly about the boy they arrested for robbing the bank and how he was getting money in order to escape from a human trafficking ring known as the "Tricker Treaters". Oliver then continued to explain the plan and how everyone was going to be involved.

"So, let me get this straight" Holly said, letting go of Gail's hand as she stood up from the chair and walked over to the table. She looked down at some of the papers, carefully studying the details, before speaking again. "You want to infiltrate a human trafficking ring that is at the local high school and you want my wife to go undercover as a student, a high school student?"

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Holly stood there, just staring at everyone before bursting out into laughter. "This has got to be some sort of joke. This is totally 21 Jump Street!" Holly continued to laugh, almost hysterically.

Frankie gave Gail a perplex look as Holly continued to laugh. Gail merely shrugged her bewilderment in response. "21 what?" Gail asked, turning to look at her wife.

"You know, the movie that came out a few years ago. Two adult cops head back to high school to figure out a drug thing" Holly explained with a wave of her hand, before wiping a tear that had escaped.

"Oh, that's a great movie!" Chloe piped in. "Totally cool. We are totally 21 jump streeting" she smiled enthusiastically.

"We are what?" Gail asked, looking puzzled at Chloe.

Elaine was secretly enjoying the laughter coming from the doctor, but she hid it well. The room quieted down when she cleared her throat. "And this is where you come in, Dr. Stewart" Elaine began, walking over to Holly. "The high school is the same high school that your niece attends. I need you to get your niece to accept Gail and Chloe into her group like they are normal teenagers."

"Wait, you can't get my niece involved in this!" Holly said, whipping around to look at Elaine. "I'm not getting Ally involved. I won't let you put her in danger."

"We need to get inside the school and we need to fit in seamlessly. We need Ally to help" Oliver said softly.

"And are you okay with this? Are you okay with getting Ally involved" Holly said, turning to glare at Gail.

Gail shrugged. "I didn't realize she would be involved, but it makes sense Holly. I wish there was some other way" she said quietly.

"Then find a different way. You cannot use my niece in your police scheme!" Holly exclaimed adamantly. "She's just a child."

Gail continued to look at Holly. She smiled at her. "I know, I know. You're right" she said before turning to look at her mother. "She's right, mother. We can't get Ally involved in this. It wouldn't be right."

Gail could have sworn she saw the corner of her mother's mouth turn upwards in a slight smile. Was Elaine pleased that Gail was standing up for her family?

"You are right. We won't use Ally" Elaine said looking back down at the papers. "But Doctor, I still need you to talk to her because they will be crossing paths in school."

Holly nodded her agreement.

Elaine smile before continuing. "So…how would you feel about going undercover as a science teacher?" she asked Holly.

Everyone turned to look at the doctor who stood there, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Me? Undercover?" Holly stammered.

"Hang on now. First you want to use my niece, now you want to use my wife? This is getting to be too much. I can't let it" Gail said, stepping protectively in front of Holly.

"It will be okay honey. She wouldn't be undercover exactly. She would still be Dr. Holly Stewart. She wouldn't have to hide anything. She would just be the guest science teacher for the duration of the investigation. She doesn't have to pretend to be anyone different and it would give us an in at the school. She would be an asset for getting others to truly accept that you and Chloe were actually indeed high school students."

"Why can't you send someone else in? Why can't Dov be the English teacher, or send Diaz in as the gym teacher. Why does it have to be Holly?" Gail asked almost pleadingly.

"Because there is an opening in the science department right now and it would be a natural transition" Elaine explained.

"I can't believe this" Gail said, throwing her arms up in the air. "She's not even a cop, Mother. You can't ask Holly to do this" she said walking closer to Elaine and then turning to look at Oliver. "Oliver, please say something."

"It's true, Gail" Oliver said after a moment's pause. "Holly would be our best person to send in to make sure that everyone believes you two are students, but again, you're right, she isn't a cop. So Holly, you can say no" Oliver added, looking over at Holly.

Holly sat back down on the chair and looked at her hands. After a few moment, she looked back up at the group and shrugged. "I'm in."

_AN - Thoughts? Do we keep it going?_


	3. Chapter 3

When Holly gave her consent to be part of this unfortunately comical scheme, the whole team flew into action. People were scrambling every which way. Orders were being shouted out. Plans were being finalized. Gail and Chloe were dragged in one direction, while Holly still just sat there trying her best to listen as instructions were given to her.

She nodded her head as others explained how Elaine had already gotten permission from Holly's department for her participation. She listened as her exact role in the whole operation was explained. She wasn't supposed to go in order to solve any crimes or carry out any police business, but to help the school body to believe that Gail and Chloe were really students. Holly was amazed by all the detail that was already put into it. She did her best to soak up every drop of information.

Gail, on the other hand, was completely distracted. She was doing her best to focus on her task but she couldn't stop herself from looking over at Holly. For the most part, Holly seemed to be handling it all very well, but at one point, she looked up to see her wife sitting there looking somewhat overwhelmed. She excused herself and walked slowly over to Holly. She knelt down in front of her, taking both of her hands into her own.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gail asked gently causing Holly to snap out of her daze and look down at the loving eyes in front of her.

Holly smiled down at Gail. "Of course I'm okay. It's just a lot to take in."

"We don't have to do this" Gail said.

"Of course we do" Holly smiled back. "You are in a position to help others. I know you. You can't just sit around knowing others are in danger and there's something you could do to stop it."

"Okay, but you don't have to do this" Gail said softly. "I can be the superhero, you can be my fair lady that stays at home" she winked.

"What? I'm supposed to stay at home pining away for you?" laughed Holly.

"I think it is very suitable. You could sit at the window, looking longingly out on the cold, cold, world, waiting for your sunshine, me, to come home" Gail said dramatically.

Holly couldn't help but laugh. "You are such a dork."

"I'm your dork, and I'm serious. You don't have to do this."

"Of course I do" Holly smiled again. "The person I love the most in my life needs help. I'm here to help" she said, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on Gail's lips.

"I love you" Gail smiled.

"I know" Holly smiled back, leaning in and placing one last kiss just before Oliver came to stand beside them.

"Alright my lovely ladies, I'm sorry to break this up, but there are a few more details we need to go over" Oliver said, looking down at Gail, who merely nodded her head in acknowledgment.

"I promise to not be too late" Gail said, standing back up and bringing Holly up with her.

"Take your time" Holly said, leaning in and placing a quick kiss on Gail's lips.

And with that, goodbyes were said by all and Gail and Chloe were ushered out the room to continue getting their story ready. Elaine came to stand beside Holly.

"She's going to be fine" Holly said, knowing who was standing beside her without even looking.

"I know. She has grown up doing this sort of thing. But what about you? Are you ready for this?" Elaine asked, turning to look at Holly. "You are important to me too. You can say no."

Holly looked down at her hands before up at her mother-in-law. She could see the sincerity in her eyes and wondered if Gail ever got to see that side of her mother. "I know, but I need to do this. I can't let my wife do this by herself if there is something I can do to help out. Plus, how bad could teaching a few science classes really be?"

Elaine just laughed as she patted Holly on the back. "I think we have different memories of high school" she smiled as she walked out the door and down the hall, leaving Holly standing there.

The next day, Holly went to with Gail to visit Susan and Ally in order to explain the whole situation.

"Wait, hang on, you're telling me you are going to go undercover as a teenager?" Ally laughed, pointing at Gail. "And you are supposed to be a teacher?" she laughed even harder as she looked at Holly.

"Why is that so hard to believe? I teach people all the time" Holly said as a frown began to form on her face.

"And why can't I be a teenager? I'm cute. I'm young. I barely look a day over eighteen" Gail scoffed.

Ally paused for a moment, looked at both her aunts before bursting out into more laughter.

"I feel like I should be offended by this" Holly said, turning to look at Gail and Susan.

"Oh, I am offended. Little miss laughter over there is about to get tickled to death" Gail said motioning to stand up from her chair when Holly put her hand on her arm. With a sigh, Gail did the grown up thing, and sat back down.

"Seriously though Ally, we need you to stay out of school for a bit. We can't risk having our covers blown and we can't risk you getting involved" Holly said looking at Ally and then at Susan.

"What? No way!" Ally said, her laughter coming to a halt. "This is the biggest thing ever that has happened in my entire life. I'm not missing this. It's going to be awesome. You can trust me. I won't tell a soul."

"I think your aunts are right" Susan said, reaching out for her daughter. "This is police business and this is serious. I really don't want you there."

"You are joking! Now that I actually want to go to school, and you won't let me? This is not fair" Ally whined.

"Life isn't fair, sweetie" Susan continued. "We will go away for a couple days. You won't miss a thing."

"And what about my Kevin? He knows them. Does he still get to go?" Ally countered.

Gail totally forgot about Ally's boyfriend. She inwardly smacked her forehead. "He can go away with you" she said.

Ally, Susan and Holly all turned quickly to look at Gail, mouths hanging open.

"What? Kevin's a good guy" Gail said with a shrug.

"And how am I supposed to convince Kevin's parents to let him take a few days off?" Susan said looking at Gail with frustration.

"I don't know. Tell them it has to do with checking out colleges or something" Gail said off the top of her head.

Susan looked like she was about to say something before stopping and thinking again. "That could work" she said slowly.

"No, come on Mom! I'm not going away" Ally said, standing up from the table and storming off.

Susan let out a sigh and looked up at the others. "I really can't have her going to school. It's going to be a very long few days."

"Don't worry. Let me go talk to her" Holly said as she began to stand up from her chair.

"No, let me" Gail said, placing a hand on Holly's arm and squeezing it lightly. "I'll be back" she as she leaned in and placed a kiss on Holly's cheek before walking off in the direction Ally went.

Gail found Ally sprawled out on her bed. She knocked lightly before making her way in and sitting on the end of the bed, not bothering to face Ally. "I need you to stay away from school" Gail said softly.

"Gee, Gail, I thought you were cooler than that. I can't believe you are siding with them" Ally cried.

"I'm not siding with them, Ally" Gail said calmly.

"No? Sure sounds like it. None of you trust me. I could be helpful."

"I know that, but I can't have you there" Gail said turning to look at Ally now. "I am already worried enough about Holly being there, I really don't know if I could keep my cover if I am worried about you too" Gail said, tears forming her eyes.

Ally opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.

Gail continued. "If I could send Holly with you, I would. I love her more than you would ever know, and the fact that she is risking her life to help me is…is…the worse thing I've had to deal with." Gail stopped to take a deep breath before continuing. "And Ally, you mean just as much to me. I don't know what I would do if anything would to happen to you. Please don't fight us on this. Please don't go to school. I just wouldn't be able to focus knowing that Holly and you were both there" Gail said, looking up again at Ally as a tear slid down her cheek.

Gail was never ever this emotional, but then again, Gail has never ever been so serious about something in her life. She really wouldn't be able to focus on her job with both of them were there.

Ally slowly moved to sit beside Gail on the edge of the bed. "Okay" she said softly.

"Okay" Gail sighed before reaching over to slip her hand into the teenager's, giving it a light squeeze. "Thank you."

That evening found Gail and Holly, quietly sitting in bed, Holly with yet another science journal, Gail with a teen magazine.

"Is this really what is important to teenage girls today?" Gail asked, holding the magazine open to show Holly a picture of a bunch of girls fawning over a boy with multi-coloured hair.

Holly could only chuckle. "What? Don't you find him so dreamy?" Holly asked in her best valley girl voice, which only receive an eye roll from Gail in response.

"I'm serious though. Is this what is important to girls today? Knowing how to dye their hair and how to get attention from the opposite sex? Look at this title" Gail said, holding the next page up for Holly to read. It read 'How to lose 10lbs in 10 days and other ways to get his attention'. "What happened to just being healthy and happy?" Gail said with disgust as she continued flipping through the magazine.

"It's really hard being a kid these days" Holly said as she continued to read her book.

"I'm glad I grew up when I did. The only thing I needed to worry about was missing the bus in the morning because I slept in and mom making me walk to school. Kids today definitely have it rough."

Holly looked over at her wife who continued to skim through the magazine. "Are you sure you want to go back to school?" she asked softly.

"What choice do I really have? Kids have it so hard these days that if I can do something to help, I've just got to do it" Gail said looking up at Holly.

"And this is why I love you" Holly said, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss on Gail's lips. "I'm going to try and get some rest. Don't stay up too late, you don't want to miss the bus tomorrow" Holly teased.

"Oh you are so funny, Dr. Stewart" Gail said as she placed the magazine down on her night stand and flipped off the bedside lamp. She then scooched down under the covers and snuggled up behind Holly, throwing her arm over her wife's waist. "Sweet dreams baby" she said softly before slowly drifting off to sleep.

"Sweet dreams" Holly replied quietly as she rested her hand on Gail's arm, letting sleep take over her body as well.

When Monday morning finally rolled around, Gail was already up and at the precinct going over some last minute details with the group. Holly took her time getting ready for the day but also made sure she kept an eye on the time. She want to make sure she got there a little bit earlier so that she could familiarize herself with at least her classroom. Plus, she wasn't as tired as she thought she would be. She was actually excited.

Soon enough, Holly stood at the front doors of the red brick building, coffee cup in hand. She took a deep breath before venturing inside. Once in, she walked over to the office and introduced herself to the principal who happily showed her to the science room.

"I'm really glad you are here. I was worried when Annabelle said she needed a few weeks off to recover from surgery but when she said you were willing to step in, well…wow, just wow. It is quite the honour to have a real forensic pathologist teach a few science classes to these kids." the principle gushed as he opened the science room door for her and they walked inside.

"Oh, you know, anything for Annabelle" Holly lied because she honestly had no idea who Annabelle really was except for the teacher she was replacing for the duration of this job.

"Okay, well, I'll leave you to it. Please don't hesitate to ask anyone for help and my door is always open" he smiled as she turned to survey the room.

It was very much a typical high school science classroom with lab tables and stools throughout. She moved over to the front table, which she assumed double as the teacher's desk and placed her bag on top.

"Well, well, well, you must be the new science teacher" came a voice from the doorway. Holly turned to see a middle aged gentleman standing there, leaning against the door frame slightly. "My name is Jonathan. I teach English down the hall" he said stepping forward and holding out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Holly. I'm just covering for Annabelle for a little bit" she said as she shook his hand. She cringed slightly when she felt how clammy his hand was. She cringed a little more when he continued to shake her hand beyond the normal time. She really had to pull her hand away.

"Maybe we can have lunch together" he smiled, taking a step into the classroom.

Holly was about to politely refuse when the bell rang and the halls began to fill with bustling teenagers. "It was nice meeting you" she said politely as she walked him towards the door.

He was just about to say something else when students began flooding into the room and he was swept down the hall by others. Holly let out a sigh of relief as she walked back to her desk and began taking out her notes. That guy just made her skin crawl and she couldn't help but shudder.

Slowly all the desks began to fill up with unamused teenagers. How hard could this be? She thought to herself. She gave presentations all the time to hundreds of people at a time. How hard could it possibly be to entertain twenty-five adolescents for forty-five minutes?

It turns out…incredibly difficult.

None of them seemed interested. None of them cared at all about science. None of them found any of her jokes mildly amusing. They were more concerned with whatever was on their phones.

Holly let out a sigh as the lunch bell rang and the students filled out of the classroom. She flopped down at her desk letting her head fall into her hands.

"Hey teacher, can you point me in the direction of the cafeteria?" came a strangely perky voice from the doorway.

Holly looked up and couldn't help but smile when she saw a rather juvenile Gail poking her head in, a big goofy smile across her face.

"It's down the hall and to the right" Holly replied, trying her very best to stay in her role as teacher and not get up and pull Gail into the room, locking the door behind them.

"Thanks a bunch" Gail winked before practically skipping down the hall.

Holly couldn't help but chuckle to herself. How did Gail always know when to show up and why was it that no matter what mood Holly was in, Gail always knew how to cheer her up? And was it wrong that she found teenager Gail totally hot?

Meanwhile, Gail ran down the hall and caught up with Chloe who was just entering the cafeteria.

"Is it wrong that I still get anxious walking into a cafeteria?" Chloe asked, a sight hiccup in her voice.

"You're kidding me right? Little Disney princess like you must have had the best seat in the room" Gail scoffed.

"I wish. I wasn't exactly in the popular crowd. I was never cool enough" Chloe sighed.

"No worries, my friend. You're with me now and I'm always cool" Gail said as she wrapped her arm around Chloe's shoulder and pulled her into a side hug.

"That's kind of what I'm afraid of" Chloe chuckled as she let Gail lead her into the big room teeming with hungry teenagers.

Gail walked confidently up to an empty-ish table and sat down, pulling Chloe down beside her. "Gosh, would you just relax and eat your lunch" Gail said as she began emptying her lunch bag.

Chloe still just sat there like a deer in the headlights. She wasn't really moving at all. Gail nudged her again, which seemed to help her out of her daze.

"There are just so many kids here" Chloe breathed out.

"Yup, that's what a school is" Gail replied, biting into her sandwich.

"What if no one talks to me?" Chloe asked.

"Oh my gosh, Chloe. You're not serious are you?" Gail said, flopping down her sandwich and turning to look at her. "Why on earth would no one talk to you?"

"Because I'm not cool" Chloe said hanging her head.

Gail could only roll her eye in response. Gail couldn't believe that Chloe was honestly hung up on this. "Okay, fine" she said under her breath before turning to the person at the other table. "Hey" Gail said loudly, causing Chloe to sink lower in embarrassment.

A young looking girl turned towards Gail and Holly. "What?"

"I'm Gail, this is Chloe. We're new here. Any idea where room 114 is?" Gail asked, looking down at her schedule and then back at the girl. Chloe, meanwhile, was sinking lower and lower in her seat, terrified of what the girl's response might be.

"For sure" the girl said with a great big smile. "My name is Charity, and I can totes show you since that's where I'm going next."

It took every inch of Gail's self-control to not roll her eyes at this girl too. She imagined that Charity was the splitting image of teenage Chloe, personality and all.

After lunch, the three girls made their way to their next class. Chloe and Charity were chatting up a storm and Gail slinked behind them not really caring to talk about boys or cats or anything like that. She was way more interested in just getting to her next class….Science.


	4. Chapter 4

It was never Gail's intention to take Holly's class, but Oliver felt that it was important for Holly and Gail to be in the same room from time to time if they were going to convince others that Gail truly was just seventeen. If Gail was being honest, she was extremely excited to see her wife in action even before she popped her head in to ask for the direction to the cafeteria. Now she couldn't get the image of "teacher Holly" out of her head. Plus, it was going to be an awesome bonus to see the look on Holly's face when she walked into the room since no one bothered to tell Holly that Chloe and Gail were going to be in her class that afternoon.

And what a face it was. Gail couldn't stop her heart from fluttering when she saw Holly standing there at the front, welcoming students. She wore a purple button up, left open just enough. Hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders. She had on tailored pants that simply helped her high heels accentuate her endless legs. Then to top it all off, she wore her glasses. Gail just loved it when she wore her glasses. Damn it, her wife was hot.

"Please find a seat so we can get started" came Holly's voice, jostling Gail back to reality. Gee, now she looks like a teenager that has a crush on her teacher. Way to score cool points with the other students…not.

If Holly was surprised to see Gail, she didn't show it. She was way better at undercover than Gail at this point. Holly did jump excitedly internally when she saw Gail walk into her classroom. Gail had on a baggy sweater with some sort of band logo etched across the front, paired with stressed jeans. She had aviator sunglasses on her head, sneakers on her feet and she just oozed coolness, in Holly's opinion at least, but then again, Holly was a bit biased.

"Please get settled everyone. We have a lot to cover" Holly began as she walked to the board and wrote her name on the board. "My name is Dr. Stewart. I am here for a little bit covering for Ms. Lvinsky until her return. She has left detailed plans and I plan to cover it all."

Gail had the hardest time controlling the flutter inside her chest as Holly spoke with authority. She was glad that she had enough strength to keep her mouth shut instead of letting it hang open. Everything about Holly was just so damn sexy at that moment.

Holly continued "It looks like Ms. Lvinsky had you guys looking at mitosis and cell division. Anyone care to catch me up to speed on what you all know?"

A young lady beside Gail raised her hand and was acknowledge by Holly. "She taught us about PMAT and the different stages."

"Excellent" Holly smiled as she walked around the front of the room to lean against the counter. "Can anyone tell me what PMAT stands for?"

Gail sat there as Holly guided the conversation and the other students answered her various questions. She knew Holly was smart, but watching her like this was amazing.

Eventually Holly instructed the class to find partners and invited them to take a look at the different phases of cell division on prepared slides through a microscope. Everyone quickly paired up and Gail was about to ask the girl beside her if she wanted to be partners when her phone began to ring.

She absently reached down and grabbed it from her bag, bringing it to her ear as she answered it.

"Ooooh" came a hushed noise from the class. Gail looked up to see all the students looking at her.

"She answered her phone, Dr. Stewart. That's an automatic detention" one girl said as she looked at Holly then at Gail then back to Holly.

"What? That can't be true" Gail huffed.

"I'm sorry, but that's the rule. I will let you turn off your phone and put it back into your bag, but if it happens again, I will have to confiscate your phone" Holly said with all seriousness.

"Okay, fine" Gail said, pressing the off button before tossing back into her bag. "Done."

"And you can meet Mr. Henderson at detention in room 205 after school" Holly said before turning back to work with a group of students.

Gail just sat there, mouth hanging open. Did her wife just give her a detention? She looked around the room at the students busy at work. Holly busy right alongside them. She did, she did give her a detention. This was going to be a great class.

Holly was busy making dinner in the kitchen when Gail finally trudged into the house.

"Hi babe, how was school?" Holly asked cheerfully as she looked up to see Gail enter the room.

"You gave me detention" Gail said, dropping her bag to the floor.

Holly could only smile at her wife. She was so damn adorable.

"You gave me detention!" Gail repeated again, looking at Holly. "How could you give me a detention on my first day?!" She said in a huff.

Holly lifted her hand to cover the smile that spread across her face. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I had to do something. You weren't exactly being a model student."

"You didn't give Chloe a detention!"

"She didn't have her phone go off in the middle of class!" Holly rebutted.

"Yeah, well…" Gail said in defeat. Clearly Chloe had nothing to do with this but it was the only thing that Gail could think of to say at the moment. She hung her head.

"I'm sorry" Holly said with a big pout as she walked around the island and over to Gail who was still standing at the doorway. "Forgive me?"

Gail first noticed Holly's tailored pants as she approached. She slowly let her eyes travel up her wife's body, taking in the sight of Holly's curve in her purple button up shirt. "You…you didn't change" Gail said with a big exhale.

"I saw the way you looked at me. I thought you might want to help me change" Holly said as she gently.

Gail looked up to see finally comprehend that Holly was still wearing her glasses too and now was chewing softly on her bottom lip, something that made Gail go weak each and every time.

"So you did notice?" Gail smiled as she reached out and gently pulled her wife against her.

"How could I not? You were practically drooling on the floor" Holly laughed as she wrapped her arms around Gail's neck.

"I was not!"

Holly merely laughed before pulling Gail close and pressing her lips against hers. "I also have a confession" Holly said, pulling back slightly.

"And what is that?" Gail said, leaning in to place a soft kiss on Holly's lips again.

Holly leaned into so that her lips were barely brushing against Gail's ear. "Teenager Gail was so hot."

"You know that's not exactly legal" Gail shivered.

"I know, I know, but gosh…you look so good in these jeans" Holly said, reaching down and cupping her wife's butt.

It took Gail and Chloe a little over a week to solve the case at the high school. It turns out that a new gang had come into the school and was secretly trafficking out international students. It was a horrendous situation that Gail was happy to uncover and dismantle. Thanks to Holly's teacher perspective, they were also able to connect a couple teachers to the terrible abuse and charge them accordingly.

It was late Friday night as Gail meandered down into the forensic lab in search of her wife.

"Hey. Why am I not surprised to find you here?" Gail smiled as she leaned against the door frame.

Holly looked up from her pile of paper work, raising her glasses to sit on top of her head as she smiled up at Gail. "I just needed to finish off some stuff. Being out of the lab for the week really put me behind on the paper work. What time is it anyways?"

"It's almost nine. I was beginning to wonder if you were planning to come home at all tonight" Gail chuckled.

"It's not nine already, is it?!" Holly exclaimed looking down at her watch. "I'm so sorry, baby, I really meant to come home sooner."

"It's okay. I figured you had work to do and I also guessed you skipped dinner, so I picked up some Thai" Gail smiled holding up some take out boxes.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" Holly said, placing her glasses and pen down on the desk before standing up and walking over to her wife.

"Well I think it all began with you walking into my crime scene" Gail said before leaning in and kissing Holly gently on the lips.

Holly wrapped her arms around Gail's neck before she could pull too far away. "I'm serious though. You are too good for me."

"I am pretty awesome" Gail smirked.

"And cocky" Holly laughed before kissing Gail again.

"Come on, let's eat" Gail said, dipping out of Holly's embrace and leading her over to the couch.

Holly happily let her wife guide her over to the couch and sat down. She smiled as she watched Gail put out the cutlery and napkins before opening up the food.

"What are you smiling about?" Gail asked, sitting down beside Holly.

"Oh nothing" Holly smiled. But of course it was more than nothing. She really had no idea how she got so lucky. Gail was the most amazing person she ever met. Not only was she an amazing officer, but she was also an amazing friend and wife. She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Gail's cheek. "Thank you for my dinner."


	5. Chapter 5

Spring slowly crept into the city. Grass and the beginnings of flowers were slowly revealed through the remaining snow. Holly loved this season when the newness in the air couldn't help but make her feel alive. She took the steps two at a time as she bounded into the house after her morning run. She quickly kicked off her shoes and skipped into the kitchen to find Gail leaning against the counter, a bowl of cereal in her hands.

"Please tell me you are not eating Lucky Charms" Holly said, giving Gail a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing a cup of water.

"No" Gail said with mouthful of food. "It's Captain Crunch" she said before taking another spoonful into her mouth.

"You are such a child, do you know that?" Holly smiled as she leaned against the kitchen island looking at Gail gobble down her food.

"Yeah, well you still love me" Gail said with a shrug.

Holly couldn't only shake her head at Gail before turning to head up stairs "I'm going to grab a shower."

After work that day, Holly came home to find Gail, Dov and Chris sitting on the living room floor, feverishly pressing buttons on their controllers trying to win at Mario Cart.

"Honey, I'm home" Holly said as sweetly as she could over the sound of the game.

"Hey!" Gail said, pausing the game and jumping up to greet Holly, despite the groans from Dov and Chris. "Welcome home, baby" Gail said giving Holly a quick kiss. "Come sit down with us, let me grab you something to eat."

"No, no, it's okay. I think I'm going to go take a bath" Holly said, "You enjoy your game. Good night guys" Holly said, before turning and heading upstairs.

Gail stood there watching Holly go.

"Everything okay?" Chris asked, standing up from the floor. It wasn't typical for Holly to not join in a game or two. She was the only one who could beat Gail without getting in trouble for it.

"Um…yeah, I don't know" Gail answered looking at the guys and then back towards the direction Holly disappeared.

"Look, we should probably get going anyways, go check on your girl" Chris said, patting Gail on her back.

"Yeah, we have an early shift tomorrow anyways" Dov said, following Chris towards the door.

"I'm sure everything is fine. You guys stay. I'll just go up and check on Holly" Gail tried to reassure them.

"I'm sure everything is fine, but it is still probably best if we went anyways" Chris said as he slid on his coat. "We'll see ya tomorrow, Peck."

"Yeah, tomorrow" Gail waved before shutting the door. She went back into the living room to shut everything off before heading upstairs to the sounds of running water. She tapped lightly on the bathroom door.

"Come in" Holly said.

Steam was already filling the small master bathroom as Gail entered. Holly was already surrounded by suds. She reached up and turned off the tap.

"Can I get you anything" Gail asked softly as she walked over to sit on the edge of the tub.

"No thank you, I'm good" Holly smiled at Gail, but Gail couldn't help but feel something was off.

"Are you sure? I can get you a glass of wine, or light some candles if you wanted, or how about some music?" Gail continued.

"I'm okay, baby, I don't need anything" Holly smiled, reaching up and giving Gail's hand a quick squeeze.

"Oh, okay, well call me if you do" Gail said, standing up from the tub and making her way into the bedroom. She couldn't help but feel like something was bothering Holly. She quietly went back downstairs to prepare dinner.

The following day, Gail left early for her shift. She slid carefully out of bed as to not disturb her wife, but she couldn't help but stop and look down at her. Everything about Holly was amazing. Gail couldn't get over how lucky she was to be with her, but she also felt a pang of sadness when she thought about the day before. Holly had come home and seemed so distant, and even though Gail tried to talk to her after dinner, Holly wouldn't open up to her much at all. Gail didn't push her too hard either, she gets that sometimes Holly's line of work causes her to become contemplative and quiet and that she just needs time to process a particularly hard case. Gail was hoping that that was all it was. When she comes home tonight, she'll make sure to pick up something special for Holly and she is sure everything will be fine. She quietly got her clothes from the closet before heading into the bathroom to get ready for her day.

The sun was barely peeking through the slit in the curtains when Holly eventually stirred from her sleep. She rolled over to feel Gail's empty side of the bed. She flopped onto her back as she let out a big sigh. She just wasn't feeling herself and she didn't know why. She just felt depressed.

Meanwhile, Gail had been at work for several hours and was on her break. She put on her coat and walked outside, sitting down on a nearby bench. Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed her sister-in-law's phone.

"Hello?" came the voice that was oh-so-similar to her wife's. It brought a smile to Gail's face.

"Hey Susan, it's Gail. Do you have a minute?" Gail smiled into the phone.

"Why? What's wrong?" Susan quickly answered back.

"Why does something have to be wrong?" Gail chuckled.

"Call it a sixth-sense" Susan said.

"Okay, fine. Holly just hasn't really been herself the last couple of days, and I think she could really use some old fashioned Stewart family time. I was wondering if you could help me out. I was thinking about having everyone over. You know, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the whole shebang. It's getting warmer outside, we could have a fire going in the pit or we could fire up some of those outdoor heaters if people wanted to go out. I just think Holly needs her family right now" Gail let out with a sigh. She couldn't help but feel like she wasn't enough for Holly at this particular moment.

"I love it!" squealed Susan on the other end of the phone. "I will definitely help you out. When are you thinking?"

"I was hoping for Saturday" Gail answered.

"As in tomorrow?" Susan laughed.

"Yeah, as in tomorrow" Gail chuckled. "Do you think it can be done?"

There was a pause over the phone as Susan thought about it all. "Without a doubt my dear sister-in-law. I will call the family."

"Excellent, I will call Holly's friends and order in some food" Gail smiled.

"Wonderful. I will call you back in a bit when I know the numbers" Susan said.

"Thank you Susan, I really appreciate your help."

"No problem. It's my pleasure" Susan smiled before hanging up the phone. She really did love Gail. Even though she appeared tough, and heartless, she really was the most caring person she had ever met and couldn't be happier for Holly. "Ally! We've got some people to call!" Susan yelled up to her daughter, before calling up her contacts and making the first call of many.

Gail's break was nearing the end when she decided she had time to make one last call. It rang twice before being picked up.

"Hey baby, how has your shift been so far?" Holly answered.

Gail couldn't help but smile. Everything about Holly made her happy, but hearing Holly sound more herself also added to her happiness.

"It's pretty good so far. Nothing too interesting. How has your morning been?" Gail smiled into the phone.

Holly loved it when she could hear Gail's smile over the phone. "It just got a lot better when you called. I missed you this morning."

"I know, I hate it when we have different shifts. I really didn't want to wake you" Gail said with a huff that caused Holly to giggle.

"You can wake me next time baby" Holly laughed. "I don't mind."

"I know, but I thought you getting your sleep would be more important. You didn't quiet seem yourself last night."

"I know, I know. I just…I don't know. I just feel…" Holly tried to explain.

"It's okay, Holly. You don't need to explain anything to me. I just thought you could do with some extra sleep. Plus, you're going to need it, so it's important that I didn't wake you."

"I'm going to need it? Why is that Detective Stewart?"

"Well, my dear Doctor Stewart, it seems that I have gone and invited the entire Stewart clan over for an afternoon barbeque tomorrow" Gail replied.

"You what?" Holly laughed.

"Yeah, you seemed a little down, so I thought a good old fashioned family get together is exactly what you needed."

"But you hate family functions. Why would you do that?" Holly laughed.

"Because you seemed a little down and I know how much your family cheers you up" Gail said with a shrug.

Holly just shook her head. "You are amazing. How did I get so lucky?"

"Well…I mean, your body is pretty hot" Gail said nonchalantly.

"You are an idiot" Holly continued to laugh into the phone.

Gail just listened as Holly continued to laugh. After a moment, she said "my break is over. I should probably head in. I'll see you tonight."

"I love you" Holly said.

"I love you too" Gail replied before hanging up the phone.

Holly leaned back in her chair, thinking about the conversation, a big smile plastered across her face. Gail never ceased to surprise her.

"Would that smile have anything to do with a phone call I recently received?" a voice came from the doorway. Holly looked up to see her friend Lisa standing there.

"Did Gail call you too?" Holly laughed.

"Yup, I hear there is a big party at the Stewart house tomorrow that I must attend" Lisa smiled as she took a seat opposite Holly at her desk.

"That's what I just heard" Holly smiled.

"So what's the party for? Are you guys pregnant?" Lisa asked bluntly.

"What? No! It's just a family get together. Gail thought it would be good for me to see my family" Holly blushed.

"It really isn't an announcement?"

"Yeah, I'm positive" Holly laughed.

"Well, I'm kind of disappointed" Lisa said, leaning back on her chair.

"Really?" Holly said, looking up at her friend.

"Yeah, I think you two would make awesome moms" Lisa shrugged.

Holly just sat there. They had talked about having a family, but not actually when they would actually start having a family. Her heart fluttered a little when she thought about Gail being a mom. She loved the idea of having a little baby Gail around. She laughed out loud when she thought about all the cereal she would have to stock up on.

"You okay there doc?" Lisa smiled. She knew exactly what her friend had been daydreaming about.

"Yeah, I'm great" Holly smiled. "Want to grab some lunch?"

"I thought you would never ask" Lisa smiled as she grabbed her bag and stood up.

Meanwhile, Gail had spent the rest of her shift making her usual rounds. The warm spring weather had everyone in a good mood and there wasn't much for her to do at all. She happily changed and made her way home with not so much as breaking a sweat that day.

She was humming to herself when she entered her home and was surprised to see Holly standing just inside the door. "Hey, you are home early" she smiled at her wife as she put down her bag and slid off her coat.

"There wasn't much going on at the lab and I really wanted to see you" Holly said, wrapping her arms around Gail's neck.

"Oh yeah? Is that so?" Gail smiled, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Holly's lips.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something" Holly said, reaching down for Gail's arm and leading her towards the couch in the living room. "Please seat."

"Um…you are kind of scaring me here, Hols, what do you want to talk about?" Gail asked, swallowing a lump that formed in her throat.

"I know we haven't really talked about it much, but I really want to talk to you about it. I really think…I mean, I really want…I mean…I…" Holly began to ramble as she began to pace back and forth in the living room.

Gail chuckled to herself as she stood up from the couch and into Holly's path. She placed her hands on her wife's shoulders, stilling her. "What's up?" Gail laughed.

She gave Gail a lopsided smile and a shrug. "I want to have a baby" Holly blurted out before biting her top lip.

Gail mouth fell open as she looked at Holly. She wasn't expecting those words to come from her mouth.

Holly's heart was pounding a mile a minute and her anxiety grew with each moment that Gail stood there silently. "I mean…I guess…I just…" Holly began to ramble.

"Stop Holly" Gail said, shaking her head and regaining her senses. She leant in and gave her wife a soft kiss on the lips. "Let's have a baby" she said softly as she pulled back to look at Holly.

"You're not just saying that because I said it" Holly asked hesitantly which earned a full out laugh from Gail.

"You can't possibly be seriously asking me that question" Gail continued to laugh as she left Holly standing there and walked towards the front closet. Holly could her hear her open it and ruffle through the bag that she had thrown in there when she returned home.

"I seriously want to have a baby with you" Gail said as she walked back into the room, hands behind her back.

"You do?" Holly asked shyly.

"Without a doubt" Gail said, pulling a pamphlet from behind her back and handing it to Holly. "I have an appointment on Monday. I was hoping you would come with me. I was going to talk to you about it during dinner."

Holly looked at the pamphlet for a fertility clinic and then back up at her wife, tears in her eyes.

"I hope you don't mind. I kind of stopped there today after work. I thought maybe I…" Gail's sentence was halted when she felt Holly's lips pressed against hers. She wrapped her arms around Holly's waist as Holly snaked her arms around Gail's neck.

"So you are okay that I made an appointment? I mean, it's just to get more information at this point" Gail said once they broke from the kiss.

"Yes, of course I am" Holly smiled placing another kiss on her wife's lips. "But you're not just doing this because I have been a little down the last couple days?" Holly asked hesitantly.

"What? No! I invited your entire family over tomorrow because you are a little down. I want to start a family with you because I love you" Gail smiled which earnt her another kiss from Holly.

"I love you too" Holly said as she nuzzled into the nook of Gail's neck and Gail squeezed her tighter savouring this moment together.

_AN- should we keep going? _


	6. Chapter 6

It was two in the afternoon when the Stewart clan began showing up at the house. Gail had ordered in tons of food, with still more thrown on the barbeque for good measure. And thanks to Dov, Chris and Chloe everything was set up in the kitchen, dining room and every other livable space in the Stewart home. Gail had some patio heaters running in the backyard just in case some of the guests found the spring air a little too chilly. She even had time to set up video games in the living room, and ping pong in the basement. She was determined to make it a fun time for everyone.

She was about to run outside to check on the grill when she ran into Holly's little brother Jack, his wife Marcie and their two year old son Henry. "Hey!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around each of them. "I'm so glad you are here."

"Well isn't that the best welcome yet" Jack beamed. "I'm glad we could make it" he said as he began to take off his spring jacket.

"Oh, don't take that off quite yet. I need you to go out and watch the grill" Gail said to Jack before bending down to say hello to little Henry.

"Well, at least I feel wanted" Jack said rather sarcastically as he reached down to tussle Gail's short blond hair before quickly escaping to the back yard.

"Thank you" Gail yelled down the hallway after him before turning her attention to the others. "And how's my little man?" Gail said as she kneeled down in front of Henry.

"Cop car?" Henry answered. "I go" he continued pointing to the front door.

Marcie laughed as she scooped up her son. "Ever since you let him sit in your cruiser, he hasn't stopped asking to visit Auntie Gail" she said, tickling his tummy.

Gail couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, little man. No cop car here today."

"Horsie?" he smiled as he reached out to Gail.

"That I can do" she smiled turning around and letting Marcie put him on her shoulders. It turns out that Gail could never say no to anyone with the trade marked Stewart lopsided smile.

"You know you really don't have to do this" Marcie said making sure Gail was okay with the weight of her ever growing boy.

"Trust me, it's just as much fun for me" Gail smiled before galloping off with the little boy on her shoulders, his giggles and her laughter filling the air.

Marcie continued into the house, greeting her relatives along the way before coming up beside Holly in the kitchen. "Oh, hey, when do you get in? And where's my nephew?" Holly asked, pulling her sister-in-law in for a big bear hug.

"We just got here and your wife has already run off with my son" Marcie laughed pointing out the window to Gail galloping around the backyard with the two year old on her back.

Holly couldn't help but laugh at the sight. She wasn't sure who was having more fun, the child or the adult. "She always says this is the best way for her to work out" Holly chuckled.

"Well, in a few short months, she will be able to get double the workout" Marcie said, placing a hand on her stomach.

Holly quickly turned to look at her, then down at Marcie's belly and back up at her. "Wait…Are you? Am I?" Holly stammered.

"Yes" Marcie smiled. "I'm pregnant and you are going to be an aunt again."

Holly pulled Marcie in for another hug. "Congratulations ! Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" Holly exclaimed.

"What's amazing?" Gail said, huffing and puffing as she came into the kitchen with the toddler in tow. She passed him off to Marcie before grabbing a bottle of water.

Holly looked at Marcie and then back at Gail, before looking back at Marcie. "You might want to start working out more because you are going to have to do double horse duty soon" Holly smiled.

Gail looked questioningly at Holly. "What are you talking about Hols?" Gail laughed as she took a sip from her water bottle.

"I'm just saying that Henry will have a riding partner soon" Holly continued looking back at Marcie who had now placed her hands on her belly once more as she held Henry in her other arm.

"Yeah, okay. I'm still not getting it" Gail said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as Holly could merely roll her eyes at her wife. Gail shrugged as she took another sip.

"I'm pregnant" Marcie finally said with a laugh.

The final realization of what was being said sent Gail into a coughing fit as she tried to swallow the remainder of her water. Holly and Marcie burst out laughing as they both patted Gail on her back.

"Oh honey are you okay?" Holly asked, rubbing circles on Gail's back.

"Yes *cough* of course *cough*" Gail managed to say. "Congratulations!" she finally managed to get out, turning to pull Marcie into a big hug. "Does anyone else know?" she asked stepping back a little, to look at Marcie.

"Um…yeah, pretty much everyone. You two have been a bit hard to get a hold of the last little while" Marcie said with a shrug.

It was true. Both Gail and Holly had been extra busy with work. With opposite shifts, long cases, and other general work expectations, Holly and Gail had barely a chance to see each other, let alone the rest of the family.

"Well, we are so happy for you" Holly said, giving Marcie one more hug. "Are you excited about being a big brother?" she asked looking at Henry.

"I am big" he said, holding up his arms.

"Yes, you are very big" Marcie laughed.

The party lasted well into the evening. Holly loved being around her family. She grew up with always having great big get-togethers with her family. When her grandma was younger, she would host an event once a month. Holly was happy that she could now host this event in the very same house her grandmother used to. She couldn't help but smile thinking that this might be one of the reasons her grandma left the house to her. Perhaps her grandmother knew how important these family functions were to Holly too.

Gail was standing on the other side of the living room, and could see Holly standing in the kitchen, smiling and laughing with yet another one of her relatives. It felt good to see Holly so happy. Gail still loved the way Holly would tilt her head back in a laugh and the way she would bite her top lip as she waited for others to regale her with the stories, or the way she would tuck her hair behind her ear. Gail loved everything about her. Just then, Holly turned to see Gail looking at her. Gail lifted her glass and nodded her head as she mouthed 'hello' to her wife.

Holly responded by nodding her head towards the hallway, and mouthed 'meet me' to Gail before excusing herself from the conversation and making her way towards the front of the house. Gail quickly put her drink down on the fireplace mantel before making her own way to the front.

Gail was surprised not to find her wife standing in the front hall. She did a quick glance down the hall then up the stairs before spotting her wife standing on the front porch. She quickly grabbed her coat from the hook in the hall before venturing outside.

"This is how people get sick, my dear doctor" Gail laughed as she wrapped her arms around her coatless wife.

"Ah, but this is my ploy to have you hold me" Holly smile, leaning back into the embrace.

"I feel so used" Gail scoffed.

"But you love it" Holly laughed, leaning her head back on Gail's shoulder, letting Gail wrap her arms even further around her.

"I love you" Gail said, kissing the side of Holly's head.

Holly turned in Gail's arms to look at her.

"What?" Gail smiled as Holly continued to just stand there. "Do I have something on my face?" Gail asked, reaching up to wipe her cheek.

"No" Holly laughed, "you are just amazing, do you know that?" Holly asked as she reached up and gently placed her hand on Gail's cheek.

"Please don't tell me you are adding to her already inflated ego" Steve said, interrupting the moment between the two ladies.

"Oh hardy har har" Gail said before sticking out her tongue at her brother.

"Please don't tell me that he is already causing trouble" Traci said coming to stand beside him.

"Nothing out of the ordinary" Holly laughed stepping out and pulling Traci into a hug. "I'm glad you guys could make it. How was work?"

"As good as work can be" Traci smiled as she happily hugged Holly before giving Gail a quick hug.

"Did you guys eat? We have lots of food in the kitchen" Holly said, as she walked back and wrapped her arm around Gail's waist again. Gail happily put her arm around Holly's shoulders.

"You know me, there is always room for more food" Steve said patting his belly.

"Yes, yes, we all know you" Traci said, pushing her husband into the house. "Thanks for inviting us and feeding him."

"It's our pleasure, we'll catch up with you later" Holly smiled as she turned to face Gail pulling her closer to her. "Now where were we?" she asked huskily.

"You were telling me how amazing I am" Gail said, looking down at Holly's lips.

"Oh, that's right" Holly smile as she leaned in and captured Gail's lips with her own.

As the evening went on, family members slowly said their goodbyes and made their way home. Each person was happy to have a chance to get together as a family again. Each one made sure to tell Gail all about how Grandma Stewart would host these events all the time. They made Gail promise it wouldn't be their last. To see that smile on her wife's face, Gail would promise to host one every day.

Eventually it was just Dov, Chris, Susan, Ally, and Chloe left.

"So how can we help you clean up?" Chloe asked in her chipper voice as she stood up from the couch with a clap.

"Wow, you better control your girl there Dov or I'm kicking you all out" Gail said as she made no attempt to move from her comfy spot on the couch.

"What? I just want to help" Chloe shrugged.

"And I truly appreciate your offer" Holly said walking over to Chloe and giving her a sideways hug. "But how about a game of ping pong instead?" she asked, smiling at the group.

"Oh totally. I'm going to whip all your butts" Gail shouted as she jumped up from the couch and began walking towards the basement door.

"I don't think so" Chris scoffed. "I happen to be a ping pong champion."

"Oh is that so?" Susan laughed. She had been officially dating Chris for the last few months, and this sort of talent has yet to come to the forefront. "This is something I would like to see."

"Hey, I'm a man of many talents" Chris laughed as he followed Gail towards the basement followed by the rest of the crew.

It turned out that Chris definitely was not talented or coordinated when it came to ping pong. He was also officially prohibited to ever be Gail's partner again. The evening ended with everyone quietly cleaning up the house while Gail sat on the kitchen stool with Holly quietly stitching her face once again.

"For someone so cute, I'm so shocked with how many times I have had to stitch up your pretty little face" Holly chuckled as she tied the last stitch.

"This is so not my fault. It's that goliath with massively long arms and poor depth perception" she reached up to gently touch her cheek.

"No touching" Holly said, swatting away Gail's hand. "Let me put the bandage on first" she added as she carefully placed a bandage across her wife's cheek.

"Remember when you first stitched me up" Gail said, reaching up and taking hold of her wife's hand.

"You mean when I first got back from San Francisco and you refused to talk to me?" Holly asked cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah, that time" Gail blushed remember how hard she had tried to avoid seeing Holly.

"Did I ever tell you what I was thinking when I was patching you up?" Holly asked, as she turned to clean up her kit.

"No, you didn't" Gail smiled as she watched Holly.

"First off, I was berating myself for being happy that you were injured…" Holly began.

"Sure you were" Gail laughed.

"What? I was" Holly exclaimed. "It goes against everything I was taught in medical school. No way was I ever supposed to wish harm on a patient, but I was ever so glad to be stitching you up."

"Okay, fine" Gail continued to laugh. "What else were you thinking?"

"My heart was beating a mile a minute. I was just so nervous and excited to be with you. I really didn't want my shaking hands to cause you to have a scar…"

"Well that's comforting" Gail interrupted.

"But what I was really thinking" continued Holly, completely ignoring Gail "was how absolutely amazing it was to be in the same room with you again, to be touching you, to feel your breath on my skin, to smell you" Holly blushed a little at the memory. She didn't dare look up at Gail. "I was just really happy to be with you again, even if you didn't really want to be around me."

Gail stood there for a moment, processing the information that Holly was sharing. She was about to say something when Chris poked his head into the kitchen.

"Um…I think we cleaned up everything" he said shyly, really hoping not to endure any wrath from Gail. "Um…I'm really sorry about your face" he said, pointing to his own cheek.

Gail looked at Holly, who still hadn't turned to look at her, and then over at Chris. "It's okay, however I am absolutely never playing ping pong with you again" she said, walking towards him. "Thanks for helping to clean up."

"It's the least I could do. We're going to head out" he said, hooking his thumb towards the door.

"Oh, thanks for coming!" Holly said suddenly, turning to Chris and giving him a hug.

"It was fun" he replied.

The next few minutes was spent saying goodbye to everyone. Once they had all left, it was suddenly very quiet as Holly and Gail both stood in the front foyer.

"I think I am going to go head to bed" Holly smiled as she began to walk towards the stairs.

"Whoa hang on a second" Gail said, catching her arm. "I never got to share with you what I was thinking that first time you stitched me up."

Holly laughed. "I think I can guess. By your utter avoidance of me the day before, and your reluctance to let me help you, I can say that you weren't very pleased to have to be in the same room as me, let alone have me help you."

Gail couldn't help but frown. "Is that what you really think?"

Holly looked at Gail. "Of course, you made it quite clear that you weren't happy about my return."

Gail let out a sigh before turning and walking up the stairs, not saying anything to Holly. Holly was perplexed as she watched her wife disappear at the top of the stairs. She shut of the lights and made her own way to the bedroom.

Once she got there, Gail was there to greet her, holding out what look like an old book. "Here, read this" she said, gesturing for Holly to take the book.

"What is it?" she asked, taking it gingerly.

"It's my journal."

"No, I can't take that. I'm not going to read it" Holly said, refusing to take the book from Gail.

"Fine, then listen" Gail flipped through the pages until she found the one she wanted. She began to read "Today Gerald busted my face open and it was the best experience of my life. Because I needed stitches, Oliver asked Holly to do it. Never in a million years have I ever been so happy for stitches. Holly is still the amazing Holly that I remember. It took everything in my will power not to kiss her right there and then. She was so close, and smelled so good. Thank goodness she did agree to get a drink with me at the Penny. Man, I have missed her. Tomorrow she is getting some sort of award. I'm going to escort her. She doesn't know it yet, but I am. I don't know where this will lead, but I have missed her so much. I missed my friend. I'm so glad she's home. I just got to remember to play it cool" and with that, Gail looked up to see Holly just standing there, her hand covering her mouth, tears rolling down her face.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gail asked sincerely tossing the book on the bed and walking up to her wife. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, it's okay. These are happy tears" Holly managed to say as she wrapped her arms around Gail's neck. "You make me so happy."

Gail couldn't help but smile as she wrapped her arms around Holly's waist and pulled her closer. "The pleasure is all mine."


End file.
